Batey

Today after our service sites, we traveled to Liberted batey to provide physical therapy to residents.
I had written a description of this community last week after we had initially toured, however it was part of the post that I accidently lost.
A batey is a rural community that is mostly comprised of Haitian agricultural labors. These are isolated communities live in extreme poverty with little to no electricity, running water  and in shack houses. The conflict and racism towards migrant Haitian workers in the DR closely resembles the Mexican immigration conflect in the United States. In both the US and the DR cheap labor is necessary for agricultural and other manual labor jobs, however no one really wants these immigrants in their country.

When we visited Liberted Batey last week, many of my classmates were shocked by the conditions that people live in. I could only compare the conditions to those I saw in Nambia and South Africa. I thought it was fascinating, and horrifying that poverty is remarkable similar no matter what country you are in.

I reflected quite a bit on the difference of treating a patient in the US vs. in the DR. The environment might be drastically different (I treated a stroke patient on a side of a mountain!) however the physical therapy is not different. The patients are treated with the same respect, dignity and compassion no matter if the language is different, there is a roof over their head, or if you are treating on a dirt floor. It does not matter that it is 101F with 80% humidity and you are out under the sun, this may be the only chance for this patient to receive therapy ever. As a whole group, we have had continued discussion on how do we decide what interventions to give them if this our only chance to see a patient. If I am only able to convey three simple exercises to someone, what will provide them with the best chance of recovery. This is a daunting task, made worse that I don't always have a translator with me.

I, personally, have been struggling with the balance of am I making a real difference vs. merely providing "charity." I understand that two weeks is not enough time to make a drastic social changes, however I also want to make sure that I am not just a temporary fix. I think that this is where the structure of ILAC comes in. As a permanent organization in the DR, they are active in not only bringing in doctors, scientists and other needed professionals, ILAC also is able to advocate for greater policical and social change. The St. Kate's DPT/PTA group is tiny piece in the big picture at ILAC, but is not an uneeded or unwanted piece. While here we not only work directly with patients, but also with the PT school in Santiago to continue to promote international ties and greater knowledge. This is also not a one time trip, this will continue to occur for as long as ILAC is here- guaranteeing long lasting relationships, continued service, and greater benefit for not only incoming students but also for the patient's who are in such desperate need.